Immunization Program Consultant 1,2

The Louisiana Department of Health is dedicated to fulfilling its mission through direct provision of quality services, the development and stimulation of services of others, and the utilization of available resources in the most effective manner.

LDH serves as a model employer for individuals with disabilities.

About this position:

This position is located within the Louisiana Department of Health  /  Office of Public Health / Region 1 Office - Metropolitan  / Orleans Parish

This position is domiciled in Orleans parish, but travels throughout Region 1 (Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard parishes)

Announcement Number: OPH/AS/195972

Cost Center: 3262108001

Position Number(s): 50314843

This vacancy is being announced as a Classified position and may be filled as a Probationary or Promotional appointment.

AN IDEAL CANDIDATE SHOULD POSSESS THE FOLLOWING COMPENTENCIES:

Displaying Expertise: The ability to exhibit specialized skills or knowledge gained from experience or training

Driving Vision and Purpose: The ability to consistently communicate a compelling picture of the vision and purpose of the organization.

Following Policies and Procedures: The ability to comply with policies and procedures of the organization as well as State Civil Service rules, and all applicable federal and state laws.

Preferred Competencies:

Adapting to Change: The ability to adjust plans, expectations, and behaviors in response to change.

Communicating Effectively: The ability to relay information correctly and appropriately to connect people and ideas.

Demonstrating Accountability: The ability to accept ownership for your actions, behaviors, performance, and decisions.

Demonstrating Business Acumen: The ability to understand how the organization operates to achieve its objectives.

Demonstrating Initiative: The ability to assess information and take action independently to help the organization achieve its goals

.Demonstrating Persistence: The ability to achieve goals by overcoming adversity.

Displaying Professionalism: The ability to recognize how your actions impact the perceptions of both you and your organization.

This position participates in a Career Progression Group (CPG) and may be filled as an Immunization Program Consultant 1 or 2.  The level at which the vacancy is filled will be determined by the qualifications of the candidate selected. This position provides the opportunity to advance within this job series.

The actual starting salary depends on the education and experience of the selected applicant.

Please click on the below links to learn more about each job level:

State Civil Service Job Information Finder

No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.

To apply for this vacancy, click on the "Apply" link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.

• Resumes WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.*

A resume upload will NOT populate your information into your application. Work experience left off your electronic application or only included in an attached resume is not eligible to receive credit

For further information about this vacancy contact:

Angela Selders

angela.selders@la.gov

LDH/HUMAN RESOURCES

BATON ROUGE, LA 70821

 225 342-6477

This organization participates in E-verify, and for more information on E-verify, please contact DHS at 1-888-464-4218.  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

A baccalaureate degree.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

Six years of full-time work experience in any field may be substituted for the required baccalaureate degree.

Candidates without a baccalaureate degree may combine work experience and college credit to substitute for the baccalaureate degree as follows:

A maximum of 120 semester hours may be combined with experience to substitute for the baccalaureate degree.

30 to 59 semester hours credit will substitute for one year of experience towards the baccalaureate degree.

60 to 89 semester hours credit will substitute for two years of experience towards the baccalaureate degree.

90 to 119 semester hours credit will substitute for three years of experience towards the baccalaureate degree.

120 or more semester hours credit will substitute for four years of experience towards the baccalaureate degree.

College credit earned without obtaining a baccalaureate degree may be substituted for a maximum of four years full-time work experience towards the baccalaureate degree. Candidates with 120 or more semester hours of credit, but without a degree, must also have at least two years of full-time work experience tosubstitute for the baccalaureate degree.

NOTE:

Any college hours or degree must be from an accredited school or university.

Function of Work:

To train in conducting the activities of a regional Immunization and Vaccine Preventable Disease Control Program, which includes quality assurance, consultation, and technical assistance to public and private health providers.

Level of Work:

Entry.

Supervision Received:

Close from an Immunization Program Supervisor or Public Health Regional Administrator/Medical Director. Additional consultative and programmatic support from an Immunization Medical Director and Central Office Immunization Staff.

Supervision Exercised:

May exercise functional supervision over Public Health Nurses and clerks in the Shots for Tots program.

Location of Work:

Louisiana Department of Health; Office of Public Health..

Job Distinctions:

Differs from Immunization Program Consultant 2 by the absence of independence in performing assigned duties.Under the direct supervision of the Immunization Program Supervisor, the Immunization Program Consultant is responsible for the management, administration and direction of the Regional Immunization Program in collaboration with OPH's State Immunization Program and has direct responsibility for insuring that the Immunization Program goals and objectives are met within his/her assigned geographical area and across the State. This position provides functional assistance to OPH Regions and parish health unit staff, serves as the Regional expert consultant to the Statewide Immunization Information System, and works closely with a diverse group of state, parish, municipal and private professionals to achieve the goals of the Immunization Program.

Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program

Manages and directs the regional activities of the CDC Vaccines for Children-(VFC) program for all enrolled public and private providers, supervising and performing quality assurance visits, participates in physician recruitment and retention, vaccine storage unit inspections, and Immunization Assessment Surveys.

Plans, coordinates, and supervises the distribution, storage and handling of all publicly purchased vaccines received and used within the Region.

Evaluates/prepares written reports on these activities to the State VFC Coordinator and State Immunization Program Director, and suggests/coordinates corrective actions.

Trains VFC personnel working within the Region in all activities of the immunization Program

including ordering, administering, recording, the Immunization cold-chain, adverse events, and coordinating activities to maximize their effectiveness.

Regularly checks vaccine inventory on each visit to VFC providers to ensure that adequate supplies are on hand, that proper storage techniques are being used, and that excess short-dated vaccines are channeled to other locations.

Evaluates each VFC provider's monthly vaccine usage report to verify that vaccine accountability requirements are being met. Investigates any irregularities found during these evaluations and initiate immediate corrective action.

Assures vaccine accountability with the goals of minimizing loss, waste and fraud.

Investigates potential fraud and/or abuse and communicate this to the State VFC Coordinator.

Assists with vaccine distribution and transfer to and from VFC providers.

Immunization Information System, LINKS

Serves as the Regional Consultant for the Louisiana Immunization Network for Kids Statewide (LINKS), the State's Immunization Information System.

Market, recruit and enroll new private providers/vaccinators, and healthcare facilities.

Manage LINKS scheduling and train newly enrolled physicians/organizations on the use of the registry.

Conduct ongoing training for updates to the registry software and enhancements.

Offer as-needed technical assistance to both public and private providers with authorized access to the registry to resolve problems or facilitate solutions.

Assist LINKS users on the LINKS basic functions and functions related to VFC.

Develop and provide specialized training/workshops on the Vaccine Management Ordering System VOMS} to Parish Health Units, private providers, hospitals, and others healthcare facilities for the vaccine ordering and inventory process via the LINKS registry

Assessments

Responsible for regulatory enforcement of the provisions of the Immunization Law and State

Sanitary Code Chapter 2 as necessary to improve immunization coverage levels.

Conducts assessments of immunization levels of all children enrolled in day care, Head Start, schools, early childhood education centers, and preschool aged children receiving immunizations from the Parish Health Units in addition to students attending schools of higher learning.

Monitors changes to State immunization requirements for child care centers and schools.

Remains current with the National Immunization Survey methodology and results for Louisiana as well as other national rankings related to immunization

Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) Surveillance, Investigation and Reponses

Conducts outreach to encourage timely reporting of suspected cases of measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV}.

Participates in the Region's surveillance and investigation of reported cases of MMRV following the guidance, policies and procedures of the OPH Immunization Program.

Plans methods to control and contain MMRV outbreaks in a variety of settings.

Participates in the coordination of laboratory sample collection and transport.

Compiles and evaluates post outbreak data.

Prepares written reports as detailed in the MMRV outbreak guide.

Education/Training

Keeps abreast of new disease and vaccine developments, new products and combination vaccines and schedules through attendance at seminars, trainings, in-service, staff meetings, or other training events.

Evaluates and reviews technical articles, proposed federal requirements and immunization

policies and procedures including implementation of all newly developed vaccines and

recommendations made available to the State.

Collaborates within OPH, with state agencies, the parents, providers, the State Shots for Tots

Coalition, and other volunteer or civic organizations and groups to better educate the public on the importance of maintaining high levels of immunizations and advocate for immunizations.

Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program

Provides functional assistance to the OPH Perinatal Hepatitis B Program, assisting with the

implementation of programmatic objectives.

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Plays a role in the public health Immunization Team, which is a specialized response unit that can be rapidly mobilized and deployed at the Regional and state level for the focused administration of vaccines and prophylactic medications following an event such as a hurricane, nuclear, chemical, biological weapons of mass destruction, natural and/or man-made disasters